BY SCOTT HADDOW
Laurentian University women's basketball
player Darrah Bumstead is another hidden gem the program has
unleashed on the OUA.
Bumstead entered the season as a relative
unknown rookie looking to make her mark in the tough league.
And what a mark she made, playing a ton of minutes with the
Lady Vees, making the OUA Rookie Team and putting on a show all
season by captivating fans with her tenacity and hard
work.
For head coach Mike Clarke, landing Bumstead
in the off-season was a major coup and he sees nothing but a
bright future ahead for Bumstead, a
future much like the one of current
third-year teammate Cassandra Carpenter, who is a OUA leading
scorer and all-star.
"Her play this year was spectacular," said
the bench boss. "She was by far the best rookie forward in the
OUA and her numbers would be better if she wasn't playing
alongside a forward as dominating as Cassandra. I think she
will be an OUA all-star multiple times in her career. Darrah's
a great success story for our program. It's a real challenge
attracting southern Ontario kids (Darrah is from Waterloo) to
Sudbury, but she fits in perfectly. She isn't just a quality
basketball recruit; she's an excellent student. You will never
meet a nicer, more humble person."
Bumstead relished every second of her
season.
"Making the rookie team was an honour," said
the six-foot forward. "I thought it was a great season. The
competition forced me to step up my game
and I enjoyed playing at a faster pace and a
much more physical game. Although our team struggled and our
inexperience showed through a bit, I think we improved as a
team...And collectively, we're excited and pumped for next
season."
Bumstead made a huge impact defensively,
averaging 27 minutes and seven rebounds a game, which put her
ninth overall in the OUA. She also led Laurentian in blocks
with 32, which was fourth overall.
Listening to coaches has made Bumstead into
the player she is today.
"Throughout high school, shot blocking and
rebounding we're definitely the two key components of my game,"
said the Waterloo native. " At every camp I went to, I was told
that those two things and defense were what it took to play
university basketball so that was what I concentrated on
improving. Because of this, my offensive game is not as strong
as my defensive, so when I got to LU I worked hard to
contribute as much as possible and the best contributions I can
offer are through shot blocking and rebounding."
Clarke was impressed with Bumstead's talents
all season.
"She's an incredible rebounder and shot
blocker," said Clarke. "It's outstanding on two levels. One,
she's only a rookie. Two, it's difficult to average that many
rebounds playing with Cassandra, who was second in the OUA and
third in the CIS. Darrah was a major reason we ranked second in
the CIS in rebounding as a team. She is driven, durable and
never complains or feels sorry for herself. I think she is a
potential All-Canadian. She has the potential to become one of
the top defensive players in the country."
The 2005-06 season was a learning experience
for Bumstead.
"I got a good idea of my potential," said the
forward. "I learned how much hard work and training can improve
your game and it has really inspired me to work even harder
over the summer and come back as the best player I can
be."
The Lady Vees made a quick exit in the
playoffs, losing to Ottawa in the early rounds. Bumstead wants
to see Laurentian come back stronger than ever for
2006-07.
"I hope as team we take it in stride and
learn from the loss," said the kinesiology student. "I hope we
continue the same momentum we've been building all year and use
the experience as fuel over the summer to come back next season
with confidence and a strong desire to play as hard as we
can."